Large UK firms favouring contractors over permies

Great news for IT contractors, as a recent survey has revealed that the demand for this sector, in the UK, has risen by 14 per cent over the first quarter of this year.

Elance, which is an online service that matches freelancers and businesses, carried out the survey. The key findings revealed that IT contractors with skills based around smartphones and tablet PC developments, such as being able to develop apps, were the most likely to benefit from increased job opportunities.  Experts in mobile networks and data are also said to be in high demand.

According to the Elance report, there has been a 35 per cent increase in demand for experienced android developers during Q1.

Suneeta Johal, the PCG’s research and information manager, said, “This data shows that ‘staying ahead of the game’ is crucial to capitalising on areas of growth and this is an area where IT freelancers are particularly strong.

“Their livelihood often depends on them being at the forefront of technological innovation and these findings suggest businesses beginning to take advantage of this.”

As well as the positive news concerning the increased demand for IT contractors, the report also found that larger organisations are in fact leaning more toward hiring contractors for positions that they may have normally offered to permanent employees.

Suneeta Johal explained further, “Elance’s findings suggest that businesses have been forced by poor economic conditions to mitigate risk by bringing in freelancers to complete project work and short-term engagements.

“Hopefully in doing so they will see that the advantages of tapping into a flexible, expert resource in this way are not confined to when times are bad.”